Acoustic bubble counting technique using sound speed extracted fromsound attenuation

Sound attenuation has been solely used to estimate bubble size distributions of bubbly water in the conventional acoustic bubble sizing methods. These conventional methods are useful for the void fraction around 10^-6 or lower. However, the change of compressibility in the bubbly water also should be considered in bubble sizing for the void fraction around 10^-5 or higher. Recently the sound speed as well as sound attenuation was considered for acoustic bubble size estimation in bubbly water. In this paper, the sound speed estimated from sound attenuation in bubbly water by an iterative method is used for a bubble counting. This new iterative inverse bubble sizing technique is numerically tested for bubble distributions of single-size Gaussian, and power-law functions. The numerical simulation results are in agreement with the given bubble distributions even for the high void fractions of 10^-4-10^-3. It suggests that the iterative inverse technique can be a very powerful tool for practical use in acoustic bubble counting in the ocean     

First arrival cycle-based calculation methods of in situ sound speed and attenuation in sediments

The acoustic properties of seafloor sediments are of great importance in geoacoustic modeling, detecting, and oceanic engineering. The methods based on the first arrival cycle are investigated to calculate sound speed and attenuation of sediment more precisely in in situ measurements. The comparison of different data analysis methods based on the first arrival cycle approach for in situ measurement results in the following conclusions: (1) the calculated methods can help find the effective cycles and reduce the errors in calculating sound speed and attenuation; (2) using this approach, the point judgment method-based data analysis has the same effectiveness as the cross-correlation method-based data analysis in calculating group sound speed and has the same effectiveness in calculating attenuation in the time domain as the spectrum analysis method-based data analysis has in calculating attenuation in frequency domain; and (3) measurement in water can help not only calibrate the transmitting distance but also can calculate the time delay for the sound speed and the attenuation loss in the transmitting process. Finally, theoretical calculation was used to calculate the measured results, indicating a good agreement, which supports that first arrival cycle-based calculated methods can be used to analyze the measured data and the effective density fluid model can be used to analyze more acoustic properties and invert several physical properties in this experiment.     

基于正交匹配追踪的声层析方法

声速剖面的变化会对声传播产生较大的影响,经验正交函数模型经常用来实现对声速剖面数据的简化描述。然而在内波、湍流等海水不均匀性存在时,这种正则化操作会造成声速重构精度的大幅降低。本文利用字典学习生成声速剖面的非正交原子,在稀疏编码时采用正交匹配追踪（OMP,Orthogonal Matching Pursuit）算法,更新字典则使用KSVD （Kernel Singular Value Decomposition）的字典更新算法。由于字典学习不需要强制使用正交条件,对于训练数据更加灵活,从而可以使用少数的原子组合达到更高的重构精度。利用一次浅海声学实验多次测量的声速剖面研究了海水声速剖面的经验正交函数表示和字典学习,研究表明：相比于正交函数表示,学习字典可以利用少数原子（甚至一个原子）更好的解释声速剖面扰动。字典学习可以提高声速剖面的稀疏性,从而提高声速剖面的反演精度。     

原位测量技术在黄海沉积声学调查中的应用

介绍了最新研制的基于液压驱动贯入的自容式海底沉积声学原位测量系统及其在南黄海中部海底沉积声学调查中的应用。该系统可以实现对海底沉积物声速和声衰减系数进行原位测量,通过液压驱动装置将四根声学探杆匀速贯入到海底沉积物中,减少了对沉积物的扰动,可按照预设的工作参数在海底全自动工作,无需甲板上人员实时控制,采集的声波信号自容式存储于存储单元。系统工作水深为500 m,测量深度为1 m,测量频率为30 kHz,采样频率为10 MHz。使用该系统在南黄海中部获得了40个站位不同类型沉积物的声学特性原位测量数据,并使用CTD剖面仪对该系统声速测量进行了标定,相对误差均小于0.5%,表明该系统测量数据准确、可靠。     

Research on the sediment acoustic properties based on a water coupled laboratory measurement system

Abstract

The high-frequency acoustic properties of seafloor sediments are very significant in seafloor study and underwater acoustic study field. In order to measure the sound speed and the attenuation for the small-scale sediment cores more accurately, this study developed a water coupled acoustic laboratory measurement system based on Richardson-Briggs technique. This method used the correlation comparison of waveforms received in sediment core and in identical reference tubes filled with water to measure sound speed and attenuation. The sound speed and attenuation of a clayey silt sediment sample were measured using the water coupled acoustic laboratory measurement system. This frequency dependence of the sound speed and attenuation showed that the clayey silt sediment has a weak positive sound speed dispersion, while the attenuation increases with a strong positive gradient within the measurement frequency range. This study also noted that the measured sound speed ratio match well with the empirical equations from literature. The measured attenuation factor data can fall in the Hamilton’s empirical prediction range.     

深海海面目标单水听器被动测距方法与验证

基于射线理论分析了在深海情况下海面声源产生声场的频率-距离干涉结构,给出了影区内声场频率-距离干涉结构的近似理论表达式,分析得到影区内声场频域干涉周期随收发距离的增加而增大、随着接收水听器深度的增加而减小。因此由单水听器记录的声场干涉结构即可实现被动声源距离估计。在南海深海实验中观测到海面宽带噪声源在声场影区形成的声场干涉结构,对实验获得声场干涉结构的处理结果验证了深海声场影区干涉结构用于被动声源距离估计的有效性。与传统的匹配场被动定位方法相比,该方法不需要已知海底声学参数和大规模的拷贝场计算。     

小尺度海底沉积物的声衰减特性研究

为研究小尺度海底沉积物样品的声衰减特性,作者提出了用声学探针测量海底沉积物声波幅值的新方法,对沉积物样品扰动小,两个测量点的距离可小于波长,为海底沉积物微观声衰减测量提供了新手段。作者用小于波长的间隔逐点测量了沉积物的压缩波幅值,数据分析表明沿沉积物柱状样全长的声衰减满足指数衰减模型。目前主要用同轴差距衰减测量法获得海底沉积物声衰减数据,但该方法不能辨识声衰减模型,因此不同海区的测量结果难以建立联系。对此作者又提出用声吸收系数反演的幅值比与声衰减系数反演的R值(两种幅值比的比值)作评价依据,分析了垂直轴差距衰减测量法获得的南海海底沉积物声衰减测量数据,发现部分沉积物样品声衰减的R值远大于1,其声衰减不满足指数衰减模型。在声衰减满足指数衰减模型的条件下,用Hamilton的声衰减和频率经验公式预报的南海沉积物声衰减比与作者用声学探针测量海底沉积物所得的声衰减比对比,通过对R值分析得出Hamilton的声衰减和频率经验公式可以预报南海沉积物声衰减比的范围。作者提出的声学探针测量海底沉积物声衰减的方法的优点是既能获得声衰减数据又能辨识声衰减模型,不同海区测量的沉积物声衰减比可用R值建立联系。     

冷泉系统甲烷气体渗漏的声学特征及潜在环境效应

The amount of methane leaked from deep sea cold seeps is enormous and potentially affects the global warming,ocean acidification and global carbon cycle. It is of great significance to study the methane bubble movement and dissolution process in the water column and its output to the atmosphere. Methane bubbles produce strong acoustic impedance in water bodies, and bubble strings released from deep sea cold seeps are called "gas flares"which expressed as flame-like strong backscatter in the water column. We characterized the morphology and movement of methane bubbles released into the water using multibeam water column data at two cold seeps. The result shows that methane at site I reached 920 m water depth without passing through the top of the gas hydrate stability zone(GHSZ, 850 m), while methane bubbles at site II passed through the top of the GHSZ(597 m) and entered the non-GHSZ(above 550 m). By applying two methods on the multibeam data, the bubble rising velocity in the water column at sites I and II were estimated to be 9.6 cm/s and 24 cm/s, respectively. Bubble velocity is positively associated with water depth which is inferred to be resulted from decrease of bubble size during methane ascending in the water. Combined with numerical simulation, we concluded that formation of gas hydrate shells plays an important role in helping methane bubbles entering the upper water bodies, while other factors, including water depth, bubble velocity, initial kinetic energy and bubble size, also influence the bubble residence time in the water and the possibility of methane entering the atmosphere. We estimate that methane gas flux at these two sites is 0.4×10~6–87.6×10~6 mol/a which is extremely small compared to the total amount of methane in the ocean body, however, methane leakage might exert significant impact on the ocean acidification considering the widespread distributed cold seeps. In addition, although methane entering the atmosphere is not observed, further research is still needed to understand its potential impact on increasing methane concentration in the surface seawater and gas-water interface methane exchange rate, which consequently increase the greenhouse effect.     

Experimental Studies of Sound Attenuation in Seabed Sediments on Column Sample Length Scale

Seabed sediment microstructure has an influence on its acousto-physical properties, and the properties in a length of the sediment column reflect an aspect of the macroscopic behavior of the microstructure. An original measurement method of the sound attenuation within small distance cross sections in a sediment column, and the corresponding approach in data processing to attain an attenuation factor are detailed in the paper. This method was used to measure the compressional wave in series of points with a small distance in the sediment column, and it is shown that exponential attenuation is a type of compressional wave attenuation model for a sediment column in its full length. It indicates that there are various models of compressional wave attenuation in seabed sediments in the South China Sea after comparison of data from other literature. The method of measuring sound attenuation satisfies the sampling space interval in the acoustical forward and inverse problems in seabed sediments, and the original method provides a new approach for finding out sound attenuation mechanism in seabed sediments on small length scale.     

东海PN断面黑潮区域海底起伏对声传播的影响

利用2001年3月东海PN断面“973”调查获得的CTD数据，用数值模拟方法研究了PN断面黑潮区域海底起伏对声传播的影响。由深水区向浅水区传播，随着海底的抬升声线的海底反射和海面反射次数增加，声强衰减更快，限制声传播距离。由浅水区向深水区传播，随着海底降低声线上反转点深度增加，传播一定距离后部分声线不能到达上层水体，于是声强衰减也增快。     

A model for variations in the range and depth dependence of thesound speed and attenuation induced by bubble clouds under wind-drivensea surfaces

When modeling sound propagation through the uppermost layers of the ocean, the presence of bubble clouds cannot be ignored. Their existence can convert a range-independent sound propagation problem into a range-dependent one. Measurements show that strong changes in sound speed and attenuation are produced by the presence of swarms of microbubbles which can be depicted as patchy clouds superimposed on a very weak background layer. While models suitable for use in acoustic calculations are available for the homogeneous bubble layer (which results from long time averages of the total bubble population), no similar parameterizations are available for the more realistic inhomogeneous bubble layer. Based on available information and within the framework of a classification scheme for bubble plumes proposed by Monahan, a model for the range and depth dependence of the bubbly environment is developed to fill this void. This model, which generates a possible realization of the bubbly environment, is then used to calculate the frequency-dependent change in the sound speed and attenuation induced by the presence of the bubble plumes. Time evolution is not addressed in this work     

Transiting aircraft parameter estimation using underwater acousticsensor data

Sound from an airborne source travels to a receiver beneath the sea surface via a geometric path that is most simply described using ray theory, where the atmosphere and the sea are assumed to be isospeed sound propagation media separated by a planar surface (the air-sea interface). This theoretical approach leads to the development of a time-frequency model for the signal received by a single underwater acoustic sensor and a time-delay model for the signals received by a pair of spatially separated underwater acoustic sensors. The validity of these models is verified using spatially averaged experimental data recorded from a linear array of hydrophones during various transits of a turboprop aircraft. The same approach is used to solve the inverse time-frequency problem, that is, estimation of the aircraft's speed, altitude, and propeller blade rate given the observed variation with time of the instantaneous frequency of the received signal. Similarly, the inverse time-delay problem is considered whereby the speed and altitude of the aircraft are estimated using the differential time-of-arrival information from each of two adjacent pairs of widely spaced hydrophones (with one hydrophone being common to each pair). It is found that the solutions to each of the inverse problems provide reliable estimates of the speed and altitude of the aircraft, with the inverse time-frequency method also providing an estimate that closely matches the actual propeller blade rate     

水声定位系统中迭代适应点分层的声线修正算法

水声定位系统中, 声线弯曲是造成定位误差大的主要原因, 本文针对该问题提出了一种迭代适应点分层(IAPL)的声线修正算法, 将声速剖面筛选分层修正声线。首先搭建水声定位模型, 通过拟合目标海域的监测数据, 得到声速高次函数; 其次探究声线弯曲时目标位置与掠射角的关联性, 由此构造出声线插值函数并求解路径参数; 最后提出划分原则, 精简声速剖面分层。仿真结果表明, 所提算法定位误差较低, 分层精简率均维持在48.04%的水平, 使计算量平均下降可达50.27%, 能够最大程度保留声速剖面的原始特征, 减少分层数量, 提高计算效率。     

浅海沉积声学原位探测系统研制及深海功能拓展

海底沉积物的声速和声衰减系数等声学特性参数是影响水下声场空间结构、水声通讯、水声设备使用性能、海底目标探测的重要因素。介绍了最新研制的浅海海底沉积声学原位测量系统的工作原理、结构组成和性能特点,并对系统在黄海和南海海底沉积物声学特性调查中的应用情况进行了总结。最后,对系统在满足深海应用方面的功能拓展进行了讨论和展望。     

Acoustic Ray Tracing Comparisons in the Context of Geodetic Precise off-shore Positioning Experiments

The GNSS-Acoustics (GNSS-A) method couples acoustics with GNSS to allow the precise localization of a seafloor reference in a global frame. This method can extend on-shore GNSS networks and allows the monitoring of hazardous oceanic tectonic phenomena. The goal of this study is to test the influence of both acoustics ray tracing techniques and spatial heterogeneities of acoustic wave speed on positioning accuracy. We test three different ray tracing methods: the eikonal method (3D sound speed field), the Snell-Descartes method (2D sound speed profile), and an equivalent sound speed method. We also compare the processing execution time. The eikonal method is compatible with the Snell-Descartes method (by up to 10 ppm in term of propagation time difference) but takes approximately a thousand times longer to run. We used the 3D eikonal ray tracing to characterize the influence of a lateral sound speed gradient on acoustic ray propagation and positioning accuracy. For a deep water (? 3,000 m) situation, frequent in subduction zones such as the Lesser Antilles, not accounting for lateral sound speed gradients can induce an error of up to 5 cm in the horizontal positioning of a seafloor transponder, even when the GNSS-A measurements are made over the barycenter of a seafloor transponder array.     

北极冰下声传播特性实验研究

通过2017年8月6日在北极海域开展的一次声传播实验,开展了冰下声传播特性实验研究。结合Burke-Twersky （BT）散射模型与射线模型,分析了冰下声传播的多途到达结构,研究了接收声强变化规律,解释了接收声强在30 min内衰减20 dB的现象,分析了接收信号的时间相关性,探讨了接收信号相关性较低的原因。实验结果表明,表面接收信号主要由小角度多次反转反射声线、一次海底反射声线和二次海底反射声线依次构成,表面声道到达信号显著强于海底反射信号。试验冰站在试验期间的运动导致了声传播信号强度和相关性的迅速衰减,并通过仿真得到了验证。     

Optimal localization of a seafloor transponder in shallow water using acoustic ranging and GPS observations

This study utilized circular and straight-line survey patterns for acoustic ranging to determine the position of a seafloor transponder and mean sound speed of the water column. To reduce the considerable computational burden and eliminate the risk of arriving at a local minimum on least-squares inversion, the position of a seafloor transponder was estimated by utilizing optimization approaches. Based on the implicit function theorem, the Jacobian for this inverse problem was derived to investigate the constraints of employing circular and straight-line survey patterns to estimate the position of a transponder. Both cases, with and without knowledge of the vertical sound speed profile, were considered. A transponder positioning experiment was conducted at sea to collect acoustic and GPS observations. With significant uncertainties inherent in GPS measurements and the use of a commercial acoustic transponder not designed for precise ranging, experimental results indicate that the transponder position can be estimated accurately on the order of decimeters. Moreover, the mean sound speed of the water column estimated by the proposed optimization scheme is in agreement with that derived from conductivity, temperature, and density (CTD) measurements.     

An inverse hull design approach in minimizing the ship wave

The Levenberg–Marquardt Method (LMM) and a panel code for solving the wave-making problem are utilized in an inverse hull design problem for minimizing the wave of ships. A typical catamaran is selected as the example ship for the present study. The hull form of the catamaran is described by the B-spline surface method so that the shape of the hull can be completely specified using only a small number of parameters (i.e. control points). The technique of parameter estimation for the inverse design problem is thus chosen. The LMM of parameter estimation, which is the combination of steepest descent and Newton’s methods, has been proven to be a powerful tool for the inverse shape design problem. For this reason it is adopted in the present study.In the present studies, the inverse hull design method can not only be applied to estimate the hull form based on the known wave data of the target ship but can also be applied to estimate the unknown hull form based on the reduced wave height. The optimal hull forms of minimizing wave for a typical catamaran in deep water at service speed and at the critical speed of shallow water are estimated, respectively. Moreover, a new hull form with the combining feature of the optimal hull forms for deep water and shallow water is performing well under both conditions. The numerical simulation indicates that the hull form designed by inverse hull design method can reduce the ship wave significantly in comparison with the original hull form.     

Higher order corrections to an iterative approach for approximating bubble distributions from attenuation measurements

A formal theory exists for determining sound attenuation from a known distribution of bubble sizes in the ocean; however, an integral equation must be inverted if attenuation is given and the distribution of bubbles is not. An approximate distribution can be determined based on the resonant bubble approximation (RBA). An iterative approach, for which the RBA represents the zeroth iteration, was proposed and carried out to the first iteration in a previous paper . It was suggested that additional iterations would improve the bubble-distribution results. Here we formulate the procedure to carry the results to a higher order and demonstrate, based on a theoretical distribution of a multiple power law form, the improvements in successive approximations of the bubble distribution to the fourth iteration level. A recursion relation is developed that allows one to carry the iteration out to an arbitrary order. It is shown that regions of the distribution that change in the power-law exponent are places where the higher order corrections improve the results the most.     

关于海底沉积物声特性实验室直接测量方法的探讨

海底沉积物声学特性实验室测量是除原位(in situ)测量之外最直接的沉积物声学特性测量方法。作为一项基础性研究,利用声波参数仪准确测量海底沉积物的声速和声衰减对建立海洋地声学模型具有重要意义。文章针对RS- ST01C型数字超声测试仪在测量过程中所存在的一些问题进行了探讨,对规范海底沉积物声学特性实验室测量方法具有实际意义。